Number of Pgs.: 371 

Publication date: January 1, 2013

Publisher: A. G. Howard
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling

How I got the copy: library

Rating:  3.5/4 stars

From Goodreads:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Plot: 5/10

Characters: 7/10

Setting: 8/10

Pacing: 7/10

Style: 5/10

Cover: Even after staring at this cover for months in anticipation, I still think it's gorgeous.  I love how all the colors pop.  Feels like it should be holographic or something.

32+50=82 (4 Stars)

After talking about how excited I was for this book for almost a full year...

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I almost DNFed this book.

Why you ask?  I was having trouble getting into the story.  The first half of the book was kind of slow and there was hardly any action.  I was confused because I thought I signed up for a book that took place in Wonderland and I didn't want to wait 100 pages to get there.  Once I got past the first half of the book I literally could not put it down.  I read the last 200 pages in one sitting and stayed up  late.  It wasn't until the last few chapters that I was incredibly hooked and decided I'd continue the series.  I havvveee to know who Alyssa decides to be with and what Wonderland holds in the future.

Alyssa was such a unique character.  She's more of a tomboy which you hardly ever see in YA, even books where the main character is kick ass.  Alyssa skateboards, blue highlights and dreadlocks her hair(is that even a verb?).  Once she's in Wonderland she has a pretty funky outfit that I plan to try to create for my next Passion for Bookish Fashion so keep an eye out for that.  It involves striped socks!  I found it hard to connect with her character though.  I think she didn't really have any layers.  Even though she was unique she was kind of bland.  Her character did really grow up and change which I enjoyed watching.

Jill from Breaking The Spine hosts this awesome meme where bloggers feature books they are eagerly anticipating to be published.